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Technology in Education

A generation ago, teachers expected that what they taught would last their students a lifetime. Today, due to rapid economic and social change, schools prepare students for jobs that have not yet been created, technologies that have not yet been invented, and problems that we don't yet know will arise.

Education today is much more about ways of thinking which involve creative and critical approaches to problem-solving and decision-making. It is also about ways of working, including communication and collaboration, as well as the tools they require, such as the capacity to recognise and exploit the potential of new technologies, or indeed, to avert their risks. Education is also about the capacity to live in a multi-faceted world as an active and engaged citizen. Citizens influence what they want to learn and how they want to learn it, and this shapes the role of educators.

The Australian Curriculum requires students to develop information and communication (ICT) capabilities, skills as critical and creative thinkers, as well as developing ethical behaviour and personal and social capability. At GSG the Technology Programme aims to develop these skills in students, alongside deep understandings in key learning areas.

Beginning Technology Programme: Year Six

At the commencement of the year, Year Six students are provided with a touch-enabled Windows device for use that year. This is funded by the School, and after a trial period where the device stays at the School, students will be able to take the device home with them each day. The school has selected the Microsoft Surface device, ensuring it is capable of meeting all educational requirements both in the classroom and at home. Teachers in Year Six are well equipped to deliver an engaging experience for our students using the Surface.

Technology Programme: Years Six through Twelve

In 2013 the School extended its 1:1 Technology Program to allow the provision of a school-supplied laptop or tablet computer to each student in Years Ten and Eleven.

In 2018, the school’s 1:1 Technology Program will be expanded to include Year Seven. Students in Year Seven will join students in the Senior School in being provided with a touch-enabled Windows device.

Currently, the school provides a Microsoft Surface device, which provides access to a range of educational programs and websites, as well as the Office 365 platform to facilitate online communication and collaboration through apps like OneNote.

The Microsoft Surface device has been selected to support versatility of learning for our students, and will be rolled out into Years Eight and Nine over the course of 2019 and 2020.

1:1 iPad Program: Years Eight and Nine

GSG introduced its first Technology Programme in 2012, requiring students to come equipped with an iPad to support their studies. As technology changes, the school must be willing and able to respond to this change to ensure we are meeting the educational needs of our students.

As of 2018, the iPad will begin to be phased out in the Middle School. In 2018, only students in Years Eight and Nine will need to continue using an iPad, and in 2019 students in Year Nine only will need to use an iPad. This is to ensure that parents who have already purchased iPad devices for Year Six and Seven are not inconvenienced by the change.

Current Year Eight and Nine programs are tailored to the iPad programme, and students in these years will be able to experience both iPad and Windows environments as they transition into Senior School.

Agreement

Our agreement outlines the terms and conditions students must follow as part of the programme. Please review our Technology Programme Agreement. You may also wish to refer to the school's Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy. Contact the School on 9844 0300 for more information.

Device Collection

In 2018, Year Seven students will be given a Technology Induction in-class, at which point they will be given their new devices. Students will need to have reviewed and submitted the agreement form before access will be granted to their devices.

Warranty and Device Protection

The School purchases all devices with comprehensive warranty and hardware support. Devices are also insured, and in the case of damage or loss not covered by warranty, there is a $250.00 excess fee. The IT Department maintains a loan pool of laptops to minimise any impact on your child's learning.

Technology On Campus

Students in other years continue to have excellent access to the latest technology, including sets of iPads and laptops, touchscreen desktops, interactive projectors and whiteboards, secure and fast campus-wide wireless access, and specialised labs of Apple computers for music recording and video editing.